Give me the 411 on Glock grip reductions(ie: how-to)

[CPshooter]

Well, I have done plenty of searches and have found a few links regarding Glocks and grip reductions, but I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for. I've also seen the work that Bowie Tactical Concepts does, and I admire it, but I also think I can come up with something that looks and feels better on my own. I also think I can have some fun trying to do it myself.

So what's involved? I thought I remember reading somewhere that some sort of epoxy is needed to fill in the hollow cavity in the Glock grip? Is that for a basic grip reduction to a G19 or 17 frame to reduce the "hump" on the backstrap? Or is that for adding a beavertail to the grip? Does this immitate polymer and create a strong bond, or does this whole process actually weaken the frame altogether? I'd like to know how to do this myself and what materials are necessary to do a quality job.

Please share all you have with me! Tutorials, how-to links, your personal experiences, pictures of your grip reductions and stippling jobs, etc, etc. I'd also like to know what the best methods are for stippling a grip. (ie: heat, notching, etc.)

Thanks!

 

[Josh Aston]

Brownell's has a how-to somewhere on their site. It's really not difficult at all. The epoxy can be used to fill in the cavity, add on a beavertail, fill in the checkering, pretty much anything you want to use it for. You'll need some sort of clay to fill in the top of the grip strap. Don't want epoxy leaking through the little hole between the two sections. The polymer is pretty easy to stipple with a woodburner. The epoxy not so much. I have no idea how the pros get the epoxy stippled. You'll need something to refinish the area you worked on also. I used duracoat, some people use spray on bedliner.

With mine I extended the grip of a G26 down into a birdshead shape, reshaped the backstrap to resemble the angle of a 1911 with arched MSH, rounded the trigger gaurd, and reshaped the finger grooves. For the magazines I used cut down G19 mags. I used epoxy to make new lips for the base plate to latch onto. The mags it takes now are a little smaller than a standard mag with a +2 and they still hold 12 rds. I would post pics, but my brother in law has the gun down in TX right now and I don't have any pics of it floating around.

Found a couple of How-Tos

The Place With No Name

Brownells

 

[Ringer]

Did you see these by member shark3-1?

Glock grip reductions Pt.1

Glock grip reductions Pt. 2

Glock grip reductions: Part 3

 

[mballai]

I like a medium large stipple. I don't feel it's necessary to whittle down the grip more than removing the finger grooves and checkering. That takes off quite a bit and should be fine unless you've got real small mitts. I do the trigger guard as well and open it inside and out, taking off maybe 40% of it.

​

 

[CPshooter]

Wow, thanks!

Looks like I have some work ahead of me, but I can't wait to give it a go when I get a break from school (spring semester is about to start..yuck!)

Anything else I should see or be concerned about? I'm still worried about the structural integrity of the frame as a whole. I mean that fiberglass epoxy stuff can't truly be as strong as the factory molded polymer frames can it? Even if it gets a good bond on the surface of the polymer, it doesn't technically become PART of the polymer does it??? Seems more like a permanent band-aid..this worries me. Should I be worried?

 

[jar_head]

i found this on another site, looks good and easy to do. Not sure if im allowed to post here, if not im sorry and the mods can remove.

 

[CountGlockula]

Man I wish I can do some stippling on my Glock, but I'm happy with the grip.

I visited my local gun show a while back and one vendor had a Glock 22 with a stippled grip. Oh man it felt REALLY good. He just took a soldering iron and just made dots all around. It felt like a comfortable hard sponge on my hand. Good luck!